'Lucky to be alive': Two people washed from Nobbys breakwall

Emergency crews were called to the popular walking track about 8.45am where they found a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s with multiple injuries.

They had been washed from the breakwall by a large wave and retrieved before NSW Ambulance paramedics took them to John Hunter Hospital with suspected broken bones, in a stable condition.

"Patients being swept into the water can be a dangerous, life threatening situation," NSW Ambulance Inspector Jake Broughton-Rouse said.

"On this occasion the patients were able to make it back to the breakwall where paramedics treated them for suspected multiple fractures.

"This is a reminder for people to remain safe and vigilant around the water, especially when there are dangerous surf conditions. Our patients today are extremely lucky to be alive."

Lambton man Ben Arkinstall was on the wall watching the David Allan dredger at work when he saw the pair taking selfies with water splashing in the background. The next thing he knew, they were gone.

Mr Arkinstall told the Newcastle Herald that he called Triple Zero while another bystander helped get the pair out of the water.

He described the wave that threw the man and woman five-to-10 metres into the water as being the beginning of a "massive set" that barrelled from the breakwall to the port channel marker.

Nobbys recorded 13.5 foot swell at 6am on Monday, decreasing to 11.1 feet at 3pm, with six-to-eight foot waves up to lunchtime.

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